The “eight” misconceptions of pain management

  Pain is an unpleasant sensation and a symptom and message of disease and trauma. In daily life, we often hear older people sigh that they are not useful when they are older and have pain everywhere in their body. Is there any way to prevent and treat these pains? The truth is that people do not know the name “pain management”. Nowadays, pain treatment has formed a mature professional system, and pain physicians use their unique professional techniques and theories to apply special treatment to various types of pain, which can be applied to the lesion, that is, to get pain relief and effectively reduce the adverse effects of drugs. However, many patients have certain misconceptions about pain awareness and treatment.  Many people think that “pain is only a symptom” and rarely think about pain treatment, many people do not know that many large hospitals have formalized pain specialists and wards, and some people misunderstand that the treatment of pain is only “treating the symptoms but not the root cause. “The problem of pain is not only a symptom but also a cause. In fact, chronic and intractable pain is a disease in itself, and pain treatment can relieve the patient’s pain, both “treating the symptoms and the root cause”.  Many people are so eager to cure their illness that they want to eliminate their pain all at once. In fact, chronic pain requires more patience to treat. For some pains, reducing the pain is considered a successful treatment. The reason is simple, many diseases cannot be completely cured, such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer pain and other diseases, there is no way to cure them, only to control blood pressure, blood sugar and malignancy in an appropriate state. The same applies to pain. When the cause of the disease cannot be eradicated, reducing the symptoms is the best treatment.  Misconception 3: Light injuries do not go away Regardless of the patient’s pain level, it is important to follow the doctor’s orders when treating them. In outpatient clinics, we often encounter patients who are clearly herniated lumbar discs but do not rest properly in bed after medication and continue heavy physical work or strong sports exercise, leading to aggravation of the condition. Others have severe migraines, but do not listen to the doctor, still engaged in brain power consumption every day, very nervous work, do not give themselves the opportunity to “breathe” rest, so that even if the symptomatic treatment, the effect is not obvious.  Myth 4: The use of hormones is dangerous Due to the one-sided media coverage of hormones, many pain patients are often worried about the presence of hormones in their medications. In fact, hormones are good drugs for treating pain caused by acute and subacute soft tissue trauma and immune diseases, and the key is that the principles of use should be mastered. It is safe to administer small doses for a short period of time under the guidance of a doctor, and hormonal drugs have anti-inflammatory effects and can also reduce pain. However, if long-term application of hormones can lead to hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, peptic ulcer, muscle atrophy, etc., it is even more contraindicated for people who originally have the above-mentioned diseases. Therefore, hormone is a double-edged sword in pain treatment. Reasonable use is a good medicine to cure the disease, while abuse will bring damage to patients.  Many people have a lot of misconceptions about pain: they think that pain will pass if they put up with it, or that they can just take some painkillers, and that they will only consult a doctor when the pain is unbearable, which delays the condition. When the pain appears one way or another, and do not know which department to go to for medical treatment, the result is to take a big detour to find the right place – pain department, missed the best time for treatment.  Some people have a lot of pain, but they don’t pay attention to it and like to find a clinic on the street or a massage parlor to rub it. Because pain is a very complex phenomenon, if not carefully judged, it is easy to deviate, some clinics in the doctor did not go through professional training in pain treatment, often a moment to stop pain no longer continue treatment and delay aggravation.  Myth 7: The elderly should exercise more The elderly should exercise to avoid nerve damage and pain, it is best to choose moderate and gentle exercise, such as walking. Especially the heavier elderly, their lumbar discs and both knee joints are prone to injury, so try to avoid strenuous exercise.  Myth 8: Self-administered painkillers A recent survey in the United States shows that there are more and more addicts taking painkillers in recent years. At the same time, taking painkillers blindly and prematurely can temporarily relieve pain, but because the painkillers cover up the location and nature of the pain, it is not conducive to the doctor’s observation and judgment of the disease location, and is not conducive to the doctor’s correct diagnosis and timely treatment. Analgesics should always be applied under the guidance of a doctor, preferably a pain doctor.